Amen Pat.

1/4 mile is not that far. My parents live in a rural area. I don't know all the neighbors that well, but I know if there is a dog in my parents yard, I can typically tell whose it is. The chow lives a 1/4 mile away. The terrier, about a 100 yards. The neighbors across used to have a Husky.

We've either led the dog home, called the owners, hollar at it from a window (and they typically scoot off) or if it's an unknown, called animal control.

It would of taken him less time to hollar at the dog to try and scare it off than to go load a gun and shoot it.